1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus which is used in image forming apparatuses such as a copying machine, a laser beam printer and the like.
2. Related Background Art
In conventional sheet processing apparatuses, there is an apparatus in which, in order to prevent a user from touching an operating unit while the sheet processing apparatus is operating, a cover is provided on a processing unit that processes sheets and also a cover (called a stack cover hereinafter) is mounted on a stack tray that stacks the sheets processed by the processing unit.
In the apparatuses equipped with the stack cover, there is an apparatus in which a mechanism of, if the stack cover is opened, stopping by a microswitch or the like a driving circuit of the operating unit which might be touched by the user, and, if the stack cover is opened while the sheet processing apparatus is operating, an overall apparatus including an image forming apparatus is set to be in a jam state to stop a sheet process and sheet conveying so as to prevent the sheet from being conveyed to the operating unit of which the driving circuit is stopped.
Moreover, there is an apparatus in which a lock mechanism of causing the stack cover not to be opened while the sheet processing apparatus is operating.
In the apparatus including the lock mechanism, post-processed sheets can not be taken out while the sheet processing apparatus is operating. Thus, there is provided an apparatus in which the image forming apparatus and the sheet processing apparatus are temporarily stopped by depressing a key for stopping the operation, and the sheets can be then taken out.
In a case where a user who ordinarily uses the sheet processing apparatus to perform simple bookbinding performs a large amount of bookbinding processes, there is a demand to take out the sheets to which the bookbinding process ended, at any time.
However, in the conventional apparatus that sets the overall apparatus including the main body of the image forming apparatus to be in the jam state merely if the stack cover is opened while the sheet processing apparatus is operating, the sheet processing apparatus is immediately set to be in the jam state, whenever the stack cover is opened while the apparatus is operating, so as to take out the processed sheets. For this reason, there occurs problems that plural sheets being processed are wasted and also it forces the user to execute the extra amount of work due to a jam process.
Moreover, in the apparatus in which the stack cover can not be opened while the sheet processing apparatus is operating, the apparatus is set to be in the jam state if the stack cover is opened, whereby it does not force the user to execute any extra amount of work. However, there is a problem that it is impossible to fulfill the demand to take out at any time the sheets to which the process ended while the sheet processing apparatus is operating.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a sheet processing apparatus in which, even while the sheet processing apparatus is operating, the processed sheets can be taken out by opening the stack cover without easily setting the jam state, and moreover, the discharge unit of the sheet processing apparatus is stopped in consideration of safety when the sheets are actually taken out of the apparatus.
In the apparatus of this type, when the user erroneously leaves the stack cover open, since bundles of sheets are sequentially supplied from the image forming apparatus to the sheet processing apparatus of which the sheet discharge unit is at a standstill in consideration of safety, many bundles are resultingly stacked within the sheet processing apparatus, whereby the sheet processing apparatus comes to be in the jam state or other abnormal state. Since the sheets are forcedly conveyed to the standstill sheet processing apparatus, a process to eliminate the jammed sheets becomes difficult and the breakdown of apparatus is caused in the worst case.
Moreover, in the apparatus in which image forming apparatus and the sheet processing apparatus are stopped by depressing a stop key and then the sheets can be taken out, it is possible to fulfill the demand of sequentially taking out at any time the sheets to which the process has ended while the sheet processing apparatus is operating. However, there is a problem that, since it is permitted to take out the sheets after once performing an interruption process in the image forming apparatus and the sheet processing apparatus, a standstill time of the sheet processing apparatus is thus prolonged, whereby productivity is remarkably decreased.
An object of the present invention is, or satisfying a demand to take out at any time sheets to which a sheet process has ended, as improving safety, when the sheets are taken out of a stack tray while a sheet processing apparatus is operating, to set a state of enabling a user to take the sheets out of the stack tray as many as possible, and moreover, to eliminate a jam that can be hardly removed.
Another object of the present invention is to satisfy the demand to take out at any time sheets to which a sheet process has been performed, as improving safety, when the sheets are taken out of a stack tray while a sheet processing apparatus is operating, to set a state of enabling a user to take as many of the sheets as possible out of the stack tray, and moreover, not to decrease productivity of the sheet processing apparatus by avoiding interruption of the sheet processing apparatus as much as possible when the sheets are taken out.
The present invention also comprises a sheet conveying means for conveying a sheet from a first region to a second region; a sheet processing means for performing a predetermined process to the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying means; a stack means for stacking the sheets processed by the sheet processing means; a cover means for covering the stack means; an open/close detecting means for detecting whether the cover means is opened or closed; and a control means for causing, in a case where the sheet exists in the second region, the sheet to stop in the second region as an abnormality according to the detection by the open/close detecting means that the cover means is opened, and for causing, in a case where the sheet does not exist in the second region, the conveyed sheet to temporarily stop in the first region according to the detection by the open/close detecting means that the cover means is opened, and restarting the conveying of the sheet temporarily stopped in the first region according to the detection by the open/close detecting means that the cover means is closed.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that the second region is the region where the sheet processed by the sheet processing means is discharged toward the stack means.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that, in the case where the sheet does not exist in the second region, a predetermined sheet process is continued to the end even though the cover means is opened.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that, in the case where the sheet does not exist in the second region, the sheet conveyed to the first region is shifted to a predetermined position shifted toward the second region in the first region according to the detection by the open/close detecting means that the cover means is opened.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that the predetermined position in the first region is the position where a predetermined sheet process has ended.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that the predetermined process is a cutout process to cut out the end of the sheet.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that the sheet processing apparatus is an image forming apparatus.
Moreover, the present invention also comprises a sheet conveying means for conveying a sheet; a sheet processing means for performing a predetermined process to the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying means; a sheet discharge means for performing a discharge process to the sheet processed by the sheet processing means; a stack means for stacking the sheets discharged by the sheet discharge means; a cover means for covering the stack means; an open/close detecting means for detecting whether the cover means is opened or closed; and a control means for immediately stopping, in a case where the discharge process to the sheet is performed by the sheet discharge means, driving of the sheet discharge means and the sheet conveying means according to the detection by the open/close detecting means that the cover means is opened, and for continuing, in a case where the discharge process to the sheet is not performed by the sheet discharge means, the driving of the sheet conveying means no matter the detection by the open/close detecting means that the cover means is opened.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that the predetermined process is a cutout process to cut out the end of the sheet.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that the sheet processing apparatus is an image forming apparatus.
Moreover, the present invention also comprises a sheet conveying means for conveying a sheet; a sheet processing means for performing a predetermined process to the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying means; a sheet discharge means for performing a discharge process to the sheet processed by the sheet processing means; a stack means for stacking the sheets discharged by the sheet discharge means; a cover means for covering the stack means; an open/close detecting means for detecting whether the cover means is opened or closed; and a control means for immediately stopping, in a case where the discharge process to the sheet is performed by the sheet discharge means, driving of the sheet discharge means and the sheet conveying means according to the detection by the open/close detecting means that the cover means is opened, and for continuing, in a case where the discharge process to the sheet is not performed by the sheet discharge means, the driving of the sheet conveying means until the sheet is conveyed to a predetermined position before the process by the sheet discharge means and stopping the driving of the sheet processing means after the predetermined process is performed to the sheet, according to the detection by the open/close detecting means that the cover means is opened.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that the predetermined process is a cutout process to cut out the end of the sheet.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that the sheet processing apparatus is an image forming apparatus.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized by an image forming system which conveys a recording sheet from a first sheet processing apparatus for performing a sheet process to the sheet discharged from an image forming apparatus to a second sheet processing apparatus for performing a sheet process different from the sheet process performed by the first sheet processing apparatus, the system comprising a communication means for communicating a timing signal representing the conveying of the sheet from the first sheet processing apparatus to the second sheet processing apparatus, wherein, in a case where the timing signal is communicated while the second sheet processing apparatus is stopped, the first sheet processing apparatus is stopped.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized by an image forming system which conveys a recording sheet from a first sheet processing apparatus for performing a sheet process to the sheet discharged from an image forming apparatus, to a second sheet processing apparatus for performing a sheet process different from the sheet process performed by the first sheet processing apparatus, the system comprising: a communication means for communicating a timing signal representing the conveying of the sheet from the first sheet processing apparatus to the second sheet processing apparatus; a cover means for covering a stack means for stacking the sheets processed by the second sheet processing apparatus; and an open/close detecting means for detecting whether the cover means is opened or closed, wherein, in a case where the second sheet processing apparatus is standstill according to the detection by the open/close detecting means that the cover means is opened, the first sheet processing apparatus is stopped when the timing signal is communicated.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that, in the case where the second sheet processing apparatus is stopped, the image forming operation is stopped according to the end of entire recording on arbitrary one recording sheet.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that the arbitrary one recording sheet is set at a predetermined position of the first sheet processing apparatus.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized by an image forming system which conveys a recording sheet from a first sheet processing apparatus for performing a sheet process to the sheet discharged from an image forming apparatus, to a second sheet processing apparatus for performing a sheet process different from the sheet process performed by the first sheet processing apparatus, the system comprising: a cover means for covering a stack means for stacking the sheets processed by the second sheet processing apparatus; and an open/close detecting means for detecting whether the cover means is opened or closed, wherein, in a case where the second sheet processing apparatus is stopped according to the detection by the open/close detecting means that the cover means is opened, an image forming operation is stopped at predetermined timing.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that, in the case where the second sheet processing apparatus is stopped, the image forming operation is stopped according to the end of entire recording on arbitrary one recording sheet.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that the arbitrary one recording sheet is set at a predetermined position of the first sheet processing apparatus.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized by an image forming system which conveys a recording sheet from a first sheet processing apparatus for performing a sheet process to the sheet discharged from an image forming apparatus, to a second sheet processing apparatus for performing a sheet process different from the sheet process performed by the first sheet processing apparatus, the system comprising: a cover means for covering a stack means for stacking the sheets processed by the second sheet processing apparatus; and an open/close detecting means for detecting whether the cover means is opened or closed, wherein an image forming operation is stopped at predetermined timing according to the detection by the open/close detecting means that the cover means is opened, and the image forming operation is restarted according to the detection by the open/close detecting means that the cover means is closed.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that, in a case where the second sheet processing apparatus is stopped, the image forming operation is stopped according to the end of entire recording on arbitrary one recording sheet.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that the arbitrary one recording sheet is set at a predetermined position of the first sheet processing apparatus.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized by a first sheet processing apparatus which constitutes an image forming system for conveying a recording sheet from the first sheet processing apparatus performing a sheet process to the sheet discharged from an image forming apparatus, to a second sheet processing apparatus performing a sheet process different from the sheet process performed by the first sheet processing apparatus, the first sheet processing apparatus comprising: a sheet conveying means for conveying the sheet; and a communication means for communicating a timing signal representing the conveying of the sheet to the second sheet processing apparatus, wherein, when the communication means communicates the timing signal, driving of the sheet conveying means is stopped if the second sheet processing apparatus is standstill.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized by an image forming apparatus which is connected to a first sheet processing apparatus and also connected to a second sheet processing apparatus through the first sheet processing apparatus, wherein, when the second sheet processing apparatus is stopped, an image forming operation is stopped at predetermined timing.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that, when the second sheet processing apparatus is stopped, the image forming operation is stopped according to the completion of the recording on arbitrary one sheet.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that, when the second sheet processing apparatus is stopped, the image forming operation is stopped at a break between a job and a job after the second sheet processing apparatus is stopped.
The above objects and effects and other objects and effects will be apparent in conjunction with the explanation using the following drawings.